Seminar on Application of ILO Core Conventions in …mtcc.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MTCC-News-Volume...Volume 3, Issue 3, July - September 2009 Seminar on Application of ILO

Volume 3, Issue 3, July - September 2009

Seminar on Application of ILO

Core Conventions in Forestry and

Timber Industry

1

Briefing on Forest Management

and Timber Certification in

Malaysia

2

Auditor Training Course on Forest

Management Certification —

MC&I(Forest Plantations)

2

MTCS Certificate holders receive

rebate for exports of MTCS -

certified timber products

3

Public Comments on Review of

the MC&I(2002) 4

Update on Issuance of

Certificates by MTCS Notified CBs 4

Export of MTCS-Certified Timber

Products 5

Inside this issue:

Contact Information:

Malaysian Timber Certification Council

(MTCC),

19F, Level 19, Tower 1, Menara PGRM,

No. 8, Jalan Pudu Ulu, Cheras,

56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel : +603-9200 5008

Fax : +603-9200 6008

E-Mail : [email protected]

Website: www.mtcc.com.my

Seminar on Application of ILO Core Conventions in Forestry and Timber

Industry

The Seminar on Application of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Core Conventions

in Forestry and Timber Industry jointly organised by MTCC, the Timber Employees Union

Peninsular Malaysia (TEUPM) and Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), was

held on 20 August 2009 in Kuala Lumpur. The primary objective of the seminar was to

raise the awareness of the forestry and timber Industry in Malaysia on the application of

the ILO core or fundamental conventions in the context of the Malaysian Timber

Certification Scheme (MTCS).

The seminar received overwhelming response and was attended by a total of 111

participants representing the MTCS certificate holders, timber trade associations,

MTCS-notified Certification Bodies (CB) and the workers’ unions. MTCC Chairman,

Y. Bhg. Dato’ Dr. Freezailah Che Yeom and Mr. Ambet Yuson, Asia-Pacific Regional

Representative of the BWI, both spoke at the opening of the Seminar. Mr. William Street,

Board Member of the PEFC Council as well as the International Representative of the

International Woodworkers of America, USA was one of the paper presenters.

A total of seven presentations were made as follows:

• Towards a Framework for Social Standards in PEFC - Chain of Custody and Beyond by

Mr. William Street, PEFC Council

• Application of the ILO Core Conventions in the Forest and Timber Industry in

Malaysia by Mr. Enchana Atto, Labour Department, Sabah

• Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) – Trade Union Perspective by

Mr. Mohd Khalid Atan, Timber Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia

(Continued on Page 3)

Q&A session with the Speakers

Mr. William Street making his

presentation

Mr. Ambet Yuson (left) and Dato’ Dr.

Freezailah Che Yeom (right) addressing

the Seminar

MTCC NEWS: NEWS ON MTCS Volume 3, Issue 3, July – September 2009

Briefing on Forest Management and Timber Certification in Malaysia

A Briefing on Forest Management and

Timber Certification in Malaysia was

organised by MTCC on 14 August 2009 in

conjunction with the Malaysia

International Commodity Conference

and Showcase (MICCOS 2009) on 13 - 16

August, organised biennially by the

Ministry of Plantation Industries and

Commodities (MPIC).

The objective of the briefing was to

highlight the current status of forest

management practices and the

challenges faced by the forest managers

in the three regions of Malaysia (i.e.

Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak)

in trying to achieve sustainable forest

management (SFM). The seminar also

highlighted the development and

current status of the MTCS in helping to

ensure that Malaysia’s forest

resources are sustainably managed.

The briefing featured a total of four

presentations by speakers from the

respective forestry departments (FD) in

the three regions and MTCC.

Visit to Orang Asli village Participants discussing during trial audit

Mr. Chew (middle) chairing the Q&A session [from left:

Haji Zolkipli Aton (Sarawak Forestry Corporation,

representing En. Hamden Mohammad of Sarawak FD),

En. Musa Salleh (Sabah FD), Dr. Hj. Abd. Rahman bin Hj.

Abd. Rahim (FD Peninsular Malaysia) and Harnarinder

Singh].

A total of 32 participants including

representatives from the Non-

g o v e r n m e n t a l O r g a n i s a t i o n s ,

undergraduates, academicians and the

industry attended the briefing.

During the question and answer session,

questions were related to the

establishment of plantations, especially

Timber latex Clone (TLC) plantations,

within the Permanent Reserved Forests

and the work of MTCC.

Auditor Training Course on Forest Management Certification — MC&I(Forest Plantations)

A three-day auditor training course on

the use of the Malaysian Criteria and

Indicators for Forest Management

Certification (Forest Plantations) or in

short the MC&I(Forest Plantations) was

organised by MTCC from 3 to 5 August

2009 in Temerloh, Pahang. A total of 13

auditors from the two MTCS-notified CBs

operat ing forest management

certification, i.e. SGS and SIRIM QAS

attended the training course.

The objective of the training course was

to introduce the MTCS and the use of

the MC&I(Forest Plantations), focusing

on the means of assessing compliance to

provide the auditors with the necessary

skills to conduct audits for forest

management certification under the

MTCS.

The training course was conducted to

comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC

17021 for CBs interested to obtain

accreditation from STANDARDS

MALAYSIA.

During the training, the participants

were briefed on the implementation of

the MTCS, competency requirements for

auditors, the MC&I(Forest Plantations)

and its assessment procedures, process

requirements for stage 1, stage 2 and

surveillance audits, stakeholder

consultations, determination of non-

compliances and report writing.

Participants were also divided into

groups and conducted trial audits in the

field covering forest plantation activities

in harvesting areas, the tracking of logs

coming out of the forest plantation

areas, visits to a protection area as well

as an orang asli village located within the

forest plantation area.


MTCS Certificate holders receive rebate for exports of MTCS-certified timber products

Since the launch of the rebate

programme implemented by MTCC,

three holders of the Certificate for Chain

of Custody have so far received the

rebate.

In August last year, MTCC had

announced that beginning 1 September

2008, holders of the CoC Certificate are

entitled to obtain a rebate from the cost

of surveillance audits conducted under

the MTCS based on the MTCS-certified

timber products manufactured and/or

exported by them.

The rebate quantum is calculated based

on the total volume of MTCS-certified

timber products produced or exported

over a 12-month period. For existing

Certificate holders, the volume of MTCS-

certified timber products considered in

the calculation of the rebate is that

produced or exported from 1 September

2008 to 31 August 2009, provided the

certificate holder has undergone a

re-assessment or surveillance audit

within the said period.

For timber companies awarded the

(Continued from page 1)

• The Industry’s Perspective in

Relation to MC&I(2002) by Tuan Hj.

Shamsuddin Bardan, Malaysian

Employers Federation (on behalf of

Malaysian Timber Association)

• Application of ILO Core Conventions

under the MTCS by Mr. Yong Teng

Koon, MTCC

• Auditing Compliance with ILO Core

Conventions under the MTCS by

Mr. Salahudin Yaacob, SGS

(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

With regard to the non-ratification of

three of the core ILO conventions by

Malaysia, the Seminar was informed

that if a country has ratified the

conventions, the requirements of these

conventions can be considered to be

Certificate after 1 September 2008, the

rebate is based on the volume of MTCS–

certified products manufactured or

exported over 12 months prior to the

first surveillance audit. The rebate is

given only once to each holder of a valid

Certificate.

For more information on the rebate

programme, please contact Ms.

Premalatha Mogan [Executive (Product)]

at tel: 03-9200 5008 / email address:

[email protected].

Y.B. Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Minister of

Plantation Industries and Commodities visits

the MTCC booth during MICCOS 2009. On the

right: Y.B. Dato’ Hamzah Zainudin, Deputy

Minister of MPIC; on the left: Dato’ Dr.

Freezailah and Mr. Chew

MTCC Participation in

MICCOS 2009

The MICCOS 2009 is

organised biennially by the

MPIC with the support of its

related agencies to showcase

the development in the

commodities sector i.e. palm

oil, timber, rubber, cocoa,

pepper, tobacco, kenaf and

sago, Including the latest

products and technologies as

well as business and

employment opportunities.

Garden furniture set exhibited by Wood Village

Industries Sdn. Bhd. during MICCOS 2009 at the

Malaysia Timber Showcase. Lam Yang Furniture

Manufacturer Sdn. Bhd. also exhibited a set of

garden furniture at the MICCOS 2009 icon,

Teratak Seri

covered by the legislation, and need not

be specifically addressed in the national

certification criteria. In cases where the

core conventions are not ratified, their

requirements shall be considered and

taken into account in the certification

criteria.

The Seminar was also informed that

member countries were required to

implement the core ILO conventions

regardless of the status of ratification of

the said convention in the member

country concerned.

It was generally agreed that the Seminar

had provided much useful information

to the participants in addition to the

opportunity for closer interaction

between representatives of the workers’

unions and the timber industry. It was

therefore agreed that similar events

should continue to be organised in

future as part of the effort to encourage

closer cooperation between the unions

and the industry.

Public Comments on Review of the MC&I(2002)


Update on Issuance of Certificates by MTCS Notified CBs

As a result of the First Public Comment

period on the MC&I(2002) conducted

from 1 April to 31 May 2009, MTCC

received comments from four

organization i.e. Forest Department

Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak Forestry

Corporation, Malaysian Nature Society

(Kuching Branch) together with the

World Conservation Society Malaysia,

and Sarawak Timber Association. All the

comments have been compiled by the

Secretariat of the multi-stakeholder

Standards Review Committee (SRC) and

can be viewed in the MTCC website at

t h e f o l l o w i n g l i n k : h t t p : / /

www.mtcc.com.my/fullstory.asp?ID=114

In addition to the comments received,

the review of the MC&I(2002) will also

take into account the comments from

the following sources:

• Comments on the MC&I(2002)

received from the PEFC Council based

on the evaluation of the MTCS for

PEFC endorsement;

• Comments received from the MTCC-

Hamburg project (The MTCC-

Hamburg project was a two-year

collaborative project between the

MTCC and the Free and Hanseatic

City of Hamburg, Germany from June

2006-May 2008;

• Considerations of the International

Labour Organisation (ILO) Core

Conventions adopted by the

PEFC.

In line with the process and timelines for

the review of MC&I(2002), a

five-member Panel of Experts (PoE) has

been formed to study the comments on

the MC&I(2002). The first meeting of the

PoE was held on 23 July 2009.

Based on the outcome of the PoE

meeting, a consolidated Working Draft

of the MC&I(2002) has been prepared by

the Secretariat and will be presented for

the consideration by the SRC at its first

meeting scheduled at the end of

October 2009.

As at August 2009, SIRIM QAS

International Sdn. Bhd. and SGS (M) Sdn.

Bhd. have issued an additional 15 and 27

MTCS CoC certificates respectively.

The 42 companies awarded with the

MTCS CoC certificate are as follows:

SIRIM QAS International Sdn. Bhd.

• Golden Latitude Sdn. Bhd.*

• Firmwood Sdn. Bhd.

• Komill Corporation Sdn. Bhd.

• Asia Plywood Company Sdn. Bhd.

• Pesama Timber Corporation Sdn. Bhd.

• Gunung Seraya Wood Products

Sdn. Bhd.

• Vin-Forest Industries Sdn. Bhd.*

• Guan Hin Sawmill & Hardware

Sdn. Bhd.

• Kim Teck Lee Timber and Flooring

Sdn. Bhd.

• Zedtee Plywood Sdn. Bhd.

• Linshanhao Plywood (Sarawak)

Sdn. Bhd.*

• Kilang Papan Low Fat Sdn. Bhd.

• Low Fatt Wood Industries Sdn. Bhd.

• Shin Yang Plywood Sdn. Bhd.

• Forescom Plywood Sdn. Bhd.

SGS (M) Sdn. Bhd.

• Exsell Corporation Sdn Bhd

• Chye Hin Sawmill Sdn Bhd

• Supreme Fame Sdn Bhd

• Seng Chap Wah Timber Merchant Sdn

Bhd

• Hills Wood Processing Plant Sdn Bhd*

• P.I.F. Sdn Bhd

• Hang Tuah Sawmills Berhad

• Mentakab Veneer & Plywood Sdn Bhd

• Seng Peng Sawmill Sdn Bhd

• Bortim Sdn Bhd

• Tan Chin Huat & Brothers Sdn Bhd*

• TSL Timber Sdn Bhd

• Hang Tuah Furniture Sdn Bhd

• E.P.W. Sdn Bhd

• True Acclaim Sdn Bhd

• Perfect KL Timber Trading Sdn Bhd*

• Papanjaya Sdn Bhd

• Hok Lai Timber (M) Sdn Bhd

• Golden Pharos Doors Sdn Bhd

• Jejaka Timber Sdn Bhd

• Indah Wood Products Sdn Bhd*

• Salak Soon Lee Sawmill Sdn Bhd

• MSK Timber Sdn Bhd*

• Strategi Mutiara (M) Sdn Bhd

• Sun Sheng Ni Sdn Bhd*

• Keow Seng Sawmill Sdn Bhd*

• Shua Lym Woodworks Sdn Bhd*

Of these 42 timber companies, 11 are

new MTCS CoC holders, (as shown

with *).

Hence, by end of August 2009, a total of

103 timber companies have been

awarded the MTCS CoC certificate

against the requirements of PEFC

Technical Document Annex 4 by the

notified CBs and 54 certificate holders

have signed the logo license agreement

with MTCC which allows them to use the

MTCC Logo.

MTCC NEWS: FACTS & FIGURES Volume 3, Issue 3, July – September 2009

Information on the validity, size, contact information and location map of MTCS certified Forest Management Units can be

obtained from MTCC website at ww.mtcc.com.my

• Volume exported in April 2009: 8,215.36 m³

• Volume exported in May 2009: 6,883.74 m³

Total cumulative volume exported: 330,034 m³ (since July 2002)

• Volume exported in June 2009: 7,100.20 m³

• Volume exported in July 2009: 8,118.40 m³

Product Volume (m³)

Plywood 5,023.63

Sawn Timber 2,800.31

Moulding 391.42

Total 8,215.36

Destination Volume (m³)

Netherlands 3,026.64

United Kingdom 2,465.19

Belgium 1,508.75

Denmark 553.68

Germany 343.17

France 183.69

Total 8,215.36

Australia 71.07

Poland 36.09

South Africa 27.08

April 2009 May 2009




Belgium 309.49

Germany 143.09

Australia 102.38

France 101.92

Total 6,883.74


Plywood 4029.54

Sawn Timber 2338.83

Moulding 515.37

Total 6,883.74

June 2009




Belgium 997.87

Denmark 553.33

Germany 322.80

France 197.46

Australia 56.67

Total 7,100.20

Poland 35.85


Plywood 4,397.68


Moulding 427.76

Total 7,100.20



Belgium 1,534.53


France 159.91

Australia 158.49

Denmark 128.60

Germany 97.91

Total 8,118.40


Plywood 4,442.70


Moulding 563.68

Total 8,118.40

July 2009

Export of MTCS-Certified Timber Products

For the first time, MTCC and PEFC Germany jointly set up an

exhibition booth at the international garden trade fair, Spoga

2009, held on 6 - 8 September 2009 in Cologne. The main

objective of the joint stand was to promote the PEFC and the

endorsement of the MTCS by PEFC.

Mr. Dirk Teegelbekkers, CEO PEFC Germany, stated: “PEFC

Germany is pleased about the new member of the PEFC family

and hopes for a better market presence with timber products

for the outdoor area. Especially with tropical wood the

consumers are highly sensitive and request for guarantees of

sustainable origin. With the extended selection of certified

goods PEFC expects a growing access to the end consumers”.

The majority of visitors to the stand were German producers,

traders and journalists. International visitors from Denmark,

France and the Netherlands also visited the stand and were

informed on the current developments of PEFC in Malaysia.

The visitors’ interest focused mainly on the upcoming

availability of “PEFC-certified” timber from Malaysia, the

labelling of MTCS timber and the acceptance of tropical wood

in general.

MTCC and PEFC Germany Joint Presentation at

Spoga 2009

Mr. Philipp Bahnmueller,

PR manager of PEFC

Germany, and Mr Siah

Yew Lay, Managing

Director of Lam Yang

Furniture Manufacturer

Sdn. Bhd. which exhibited

a garden furniture set.

Guntram Kaiser (centre) and Sten Landmann (right),

MTCC public relations representatives in Germany,

promoting MTCS-certified timber products to a timber

manufacturer during SPOGA 2009.

Seminar on Application of ILO Core Conventions in …mtcc.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MTCC-News-Volume...Volume 3, Issue 3, July - September 2009 Seminar on Application of ILO

Documents